28:27 Certainly 1 caraway seed is not threshed with a sledge,
nor is the wheel of a cart rolled over cumin seed. 2
Certainly caraway seed is beaten with a stick,
and cumin seed with a flail.
10:11 Ephraim was a well-trained heifer who loved to thresh grain;
I myself put a fine yoke 3 on her neck.
I will harness Ephraim.
Let Judah plow! 4
Let Jacob break up 5 the unplowed ground for himself!
1 tn Or “For” (KJV, ASV, NASB).
2 sn Both of these seeds are too small to use the ordinary threshing techniques.
3 tc The MT is unintelligible: עַל־טוּב (’al-tuv, “upon a fine [thing]”?). Cf. KJV “I passed over upon her fair neck”; NRSV “I spared her fair neck.” The BHS editors suggest the revocalization עֹל־טוּב (’ol-tuv, “a fine yoke”), followed by many modern English versions (e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT). The noun עֹל (’ol, “yoke”) also appears in 11:4 in a metaphor which compares Israel to a young heifer as well.
4 tn Or “Judah will plow” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV, CEV “Judah must plow.”
5 tn Or “Jacob will break up.”